“Taking joy in living is a woman’s best cosmetic.”
Rosalind Russell
Cosmetics are a daily routine, a part of every person’s life that many people do almost subconsciously. We are constantly using toiletries: when we bathe, when we do our makeup, make ourselves smell appealing, or even merely to step outside on a summer day. The average woman uses a dozen personal care items daily, and the average man uses six. Few people think about what is in the products we slather so generously onto our skin (our bodies largest organ), but we should.
The cosmetics industry doesn’t police itself, and the government doesn’t seem to either. The FDA has no authority to make cosmetic companies test their products for safety, and over 400 ingredients used in our country have been banned in the European Union. Though some organizations think the growing trend towards fastidious label reading is unnecessary and inflaming , as a general rule of thumb I question anything with the following ingredients, among others (taken from Gorgeously Green, a book I recommend):
1. Parabens (methyl-, ethyl-, propyl-, butyl-, and isobutyl-)
2. Fragrance (an innocent name which can hide thousands of chemicals)
3. Polyethylene Glycol (PEG)
4. Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate (SLES)
5. DEH, DEA, MEA, TEA & DEA
6. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (Quats)
7. Carbomer 934, 940, 941, 960, 961C
This eliminates a lot of products, but I think it’s worth it. Why risk our health?
Here at the Binding Bee, we are all about going natural and weeding out those chemicals that could cause health problems. But, as attractive ladies who want to stay that way, we have to use something. In my research about honey, I’ve discovered that it is an awesome, natural beauty aid. To test out the internet claims, Megan and I indulged in a little spa treatment with a honey mask. Here’s the recipe we used:
2 tablespoons avocado
2 tablespoons honey
about a teaspoon of bee pollen (optional)
one egg
1/4 cup oatmeal (not cooked and slightly ground up).
Though we looked like green, gooey monsters (drone bee Tim kept reminding us of the fact, calling us both “disgusting” and “revolting” and saying that we looked like we had baby poop on our faces) it felt fantastic. After about forty minutes (I recommend playing cards to pass the time, that’s what we did!), it had dried to almost to a glue. When we washed it off, our skin was brighter, smoother, tighter (I think from the egg) and smelled great.
We then tried out a recipe for homemade honey bath fizzies! I recommend much more baking soda than the recipe calls for…ours were blowing up without it!
If you’re interested in reading more about the growing debate on the ingredients found in our cosmetics, go here or here.
Thank you so much for posting this. Even though I’ve already heard about all the harmful stuff in our cosmetics, and I’ve been to websites in the past telling me which products to avoid, and which are acceptable, seeing your post helped put it front and center in my mind again. For many months I’ve been battling a particularly bad outbreak of eczema on my hands, and haven’t been able to pinpoint what may be causing it. Lo and behold, Propylene Glycol (“known to cause hives and eczema”) is an ingredient in my shampoo, my face soap, AND the anti-itch lotion I slather on my hands 5 times a day. Duh! Will now try to weed those out and look for new alternatives.
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